Random thoughts of a visually impaired woman living life in need of God's amazing grace every single day

Thursday, September 19, 2013

IOS 7-inspired thoughts

I updated my iPad to IOS 7 which, if you're not an Apple fan, is the newest operating system for Apple mobile devices. I tried several times throughout the day, but there were so many folks trying to update that the download wasn't always available. After the download, I played around a bit to see how the new softward worked with voiceover, which is Apple's built-in screen reader. It worked great and I evvven noticed a few improvements. This morning I updated my iphone and was just as happy.
As I was checking out the software, I was once again struck by a feeling of gratitude for Apple. For most of my life, I've been a Windows girl, despite my daughter's encouragement for me to try Appple. When I lost my vision in 2001, I was offline totally for months until the great people at the NJ Commission for the Blind trained me to use some screenreading software called JAWS which enabled me to use a PC. I was really excited to be able to use a computer again, albeit with a few limitations.
Fast forward nine or ten years and my best friend - now my husband - took me to the Apple store to check out the new iPad 2. Apple, in an unbelievable move, had included a built in screen reader as well as accessibility options for hearing and motor impaired folks. It was incomprehensible to me that a blind or visually impaired person could use a touch screen and yet, after a bit of a learning curve, I found out that I could.
Last year, when my old flip phone finally broke, I got an iPhone 4S and all of a sudden, I could text and do all sorts of marvelous things that I had been unable to do before.
One of the most amazing things about these Apple products is that they are accessible out of the box. AWindows computer can be made accessible but the screen reading programs are costly - around $1,000.
Sometime in the future, I will be ready to replace my old pC, which I only use for a few things nowdays since I am able to do almost everything I need on my iPad and iphhone and I am seriously thinking about checking out an iMac or a MMacbook. Not only do these computers make my life easier, but I want to show my loyalty to a company who has done a tremendous job of allowing people like me with physical challenges to have access to the same technology as the rest of the world.
So today, I am thankful for Apple and their products. I am grateful for the whole new world of technology that has been opened to me. I rejoice that while once I sat in the dark, today I have the whole world at my fingertips.
Praying your world is opened to something new today and that,, if you're an Apple fan too, you'll enjoy IOS 7. May God shower you with His grace and love as you do!